a mug, a piece of chalk, and a word

my girl happily building a snowman in the front yard

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or so the trite saying goes. I'm rarely without a mug in hand or nearby, filled with a choice hot beverage. I may be more attached to having a mug in hand than my phone nearby. I'm not really joking. I have this chalkboard mug, an impulse buy from World Market or as my son calls it "World Trap." A tempting place for those who are drawn to the aesthetically beautiful and the new and interesting and unique, but I digress. I write a word or phrase or verse when I pull this one out of the cupboard. In the last many months, Cece has been steadily increasing her tea and chai habit. I can only blame/congratulate myself. My husband shakes his head in consternation and has not quite recovered from the shock of our two-year-old (also Cece) asking to go to Starbucks, but not knowing the name McDonalds.

Over Christmas while clearing dishes, I saw my chalkboard mug amidst the latest tea party/art project table clutter. It made me smile, it warmed my heart. I so often only see my failings, the bad that I'm passing on, the sin that they see daily. I cannot decide what they take and what they leave from their childhood as they grow up. I cannot control everything. I cannot control them. More than anything, I can entrust them to the Lord, trust His hand in their lives, trust that He can use everything. I can trust that He sees and knows the heart of a sweet 9-year-old, who grabbed a piece of chalk, imitated her mama and felt compelled to write one word that we can all use more of...JOY.